The present invention pertains to a floor console for a vehicle and particularly to a floor console which can be snap fitted to a vehicle floor for ease of installation and removal.
Floor consoles used in vehicles typically include a variety of accessories; such as, armrests with storage compartments, cup holders, ashtrays, and the like. Usually, such consoles are mounted to a vehicle by brackets which are fastened to the floor of the vehicle by bolts or other fasteners, and once installed they are intended to be removed. During manufacturing of the vehicle, installation of such consoles requires tools for securing the fastening devices and a degree of care to avoid damage to the finished and upholstered console.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,783,110 issued Nov. 8, 1988, and assigned to the present assignee discloses an overhead console which uses a pair of universal mounting brackets which allow the snap fitting of an overhead console to the vehicle roof. It relies upon the hanging force of the console to engage teeth associated with the bracket for maintaining its installed position. Thus, although the snap-in console of the overhead system is an improved construction compared to the use of threaded fasteners, its construction is not applicable to floor-mounted consoles.